Iceland's renewable energy story

Iceland's renewable energy story

April 22 2008: Iceland’s mountains, glaciers, volcanoes and hot springs, which pull in an increasing number of tourists each year, also allow the country to harness 100% of its electricity and heat from renewable sources

Tuesday 22 April 2008 11.26 EDT
First published on Tuesday 22 April 2008 11.26 EDT

The Svartsengi geothermal power plant sits alongside the Blue Lagoon in Iceland. The country gets 100% of its heat and electricity from renewable sources after moving its energy policy away from oil dependency in the 1970s

Geothermal springs are tapped to generate energy and as a source of hot water for Icelanders' homes. Water from the plants also feeds nearby thermal spa baths, such as the famous Blue Lagoon, where the warm waters are rich in minerals like silica and sulfur

Iceland's fishing fleets, as well as public and private transport, are the only remaining sectors to use fossil fuels. Over the next 20-30 years, Iceland plans to use geothermal electricity to split hydrogen from water and use hydrogen fuel cells to power its vehicles and fishing trawlers. This would make Iceland completely self-sufficient in energy terms and 100% powered by renewable energy

Iceland is located on the mid-Atlantic ridge, on top of two tectonic plates which are moving apart by around 2cm a year. It has more than 200 volcanoes, and 20 high-temperature areas containing steam fields where temperatures reach 250C within 1,000m deep

Geologists say that Iceland has barely scratched the surface of its geothermal energy potential. The government has embarked on a research project at the Blue Lagoon to drill boreholes down to greater depths of around 5km, which would yield far greater power than the conventional bores

Geothermal steam and hot springs have been used for centuries for bathing and heating, but it wasn't until the 20th century that geothermal power started being used to make electricity. Around 20% of Iceland's electrical energy is generated from geothermal energy

Iceland has embarked on a drive to attract new industries to its renewable energy resources: in particular data storage centres which traditionally have huge energy costs, large carbon footprints and expensive real estate bills